A car or engine tune-up can vary from one vehicle to another. Also, the duration between tune-ups can vary depending on the autos make and model. There’s also a big difference between gas and diesel engines. This article looks at gasoline engine tune-ups and answers some of the questions of what constitutes a gasoline engine tune-up, how often should this service be performed, and the cost.
When the auto repair shop recommends a car tune-up, they’re generally referring to a maintenance service that affects the engine’s combustion. There are three main factors that affect the combustion in a gasoline engine
As fuel is introduced into the cylinder, the spark plug ignites the fuel, which forces the piston down from the mixture of air, fuel, and ignition. The pistons ignite in a specific sequence that causes other pistons to go up as others are forced down.
Generally, the main component of a tune-up is the spark plug(s). Often when a mechanic refers to a tune-up there suggesting that the spark plugs should be replaced. There can also be other factors involved, which can depend on multiple factors like the age of the vehicle.
Gasoline engines in the past generally used a distributor that would send a spark to each individual cylinders spark plug. Besides replacing the spark plugs in older vehicles, certain parts in the distributor would also be replaced like points, rotor, and condenser. The engine timing had to be set and adjustments to the fuel mixture on carbureted engines may also need an adjustment.
Most modern gasoline engines of today have electronic ignition and do not utilize a distributor. They also don’t need to have the fuel mixture or timing adjusted. However, as part of a tune-up, the auto repair shop may suggest a fuel injector flush and/or a throttle body cleaning.
Spark plugs that are used in more modern engines usually last a lot longer than engines of the past. In the past, most spark plugs were often replaced at 30,000 miles as part of a routine vehicle maintenance regiment. In more modern engines spark plugs change intervals can vary.
In some cases, the recommended spark plug change intervals can be over 100,000 miles. It’s best to consult the factories scheduled maintenance manual for recommended spark plug change intervals.
Unfortunately, there is no definitive answer as to the cost of a typical car tune-up. The cost of a single spark plug could be as low as a couple of dollars or they could cost over $30 apiece. Labor costs can also vary depending on the accessibility of the spark plugs. It’s always best to get more than one price quote on service work.
In most instances, a fuel injector service or throttle body cleaning is not a factory recommended service. If the auto repair shop recommends these services ask them if it’s a factory recommended service. If it’s not a factory recommended service ask them why they’re recommending the service. If the auto repair shop doesn’t have a valid reason, the service probably isn’t needed.
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